Restricted tear duct for doll eyes



Oct. 5, 1965 H. BRUDNEY RESTRICTED TEAR DUCT FOR DOLL EYES Filed Oct. 15, 1962 a m: .6 To

INVENTOR barr Bruane v 32 1. 7

BY W4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,209,488 RESTRICTED TEAR DUCT FOR DOLL EYES Harry Brudney, New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jacoby-Bender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 230,538 13 Claims. (Cl. 46135) This invention relates to doll eyes, and more particularly to doll eyes of the sleeping type for effecting issue of tear drops.

In a previously filed application of the same applicant, S.N. 185,159, filed April 4, 1962, there was disclosed a novel tear duct arrangement for a sleeping doll eye unit wherein a bore is molded through the plastic material of the front socket of the doll eye to which is connected a tube for conducting water. Certain practical difficulties have been found in conjunction with the disclosure from a production standpoint. Thus, the making of molds with suitable cores for effecting bores through the plastic front shells is diflicult and expensive. Further, such models are quite fragile due to the small size of the cores, and when it is considered that a quantity of such front shells are molded at the same time, for example a dozen or two dozen, the overall fragility and expense of a mold becomes apparent.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tear duct which may be manufactured much more easily and cheaply than by molding relatively long bores.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tear duct eye construction which will effect restricted water flow so that distinct tear drops are formed. Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description to follow.

It will be understood that the unitary eyes discussed herein are intended to be used in heads of flexible material wherein such eye units push into cavities molded within the doll head and having front eye openings in the doll face. Such assembly of eyes in doll heads is already very well known and, in fact, represents the preponderance of sleeping dolls manufactured in this country.

Briefly, the invention contemplates the provision of an external groove in the wall of the front portion, that is the downwardly sloped portion of the forward shell of a unitary doll eye of otherwise conventional construction. By providing a slot or groove which is closed off, either by a piece of tape or by the wall of the flexible doll head eye cavity, the molding problem insofar as the use of long cores, etc., is concerned, is eliminated. It is a comparatively simple thing to provide a ridge in a mold which leaves a groove in the molded part wherein the groove is the principal water passage. In one form of the invention, the tear duct is thus substantially an open molded groove subsequently covered to form a closed duct, except at its ends, such covering being had by a piece of waterproof tape or by designing the front shell shape to conform with reasonable closeness to the curvature of the inner surface of the doll eye cavity. Alternatively, the doll head cavity may be molded to conform to the shape of the front shell.

A detailed descripiton of the invention now follows, in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation in cross section of a doll eye cavity with a doll eye unit therein and showing features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the particularly pertinent portion of the front shell of the doll eye unit;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section showing the particularly pertinent portion of the front shell which illustrates a modification of the invention, other elements of the assembly being eliminated;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3, the material of the socket being eliminated so as to clearly show the water conducting groove;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing closure of the slot by means of a piece of tape;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a further modified construction, and;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an eye cavity 10 in a doll head of molded flexible plastic material is shown, in which has been force fitted in the usual manner a unitary doll eye 13 consisting of a plastic molded front shell 18 provided with a duct 21 which connects with an open groove or channel 24 via a bore 25. The channel 24 connects with a bore 27 leading to the under surface of the front edge of shell 18. Such under surface has the usual clearance space 30 between itself and the outer surface of the sleeping doll type eyeball 33; It will be understood that eyeball 33 is suitably weight balanced and pivoted in the usual manner, the details being quite conventional and, accordingly, not shown.

The duct 21 has fitted therein, a water tube or nipple 36 which passes through a suitable bore in the rear shell 40 of the eye unit and thence through bore 41 in the cavity rear wall to connect with a tube 42 which in turn connects with a source of water 44, which in any known manner, can be actuated to express water.

The channel 24 can be very readily molded at the time the plastic shell 18 is molded, by providing a simple rib in the mold. Likewise, the exceedingly short bores 25 and 27 may be molded with a small core which is of relatively large diameter compared to length, and therefore sturdy. Alternatively, the bores may be drilled after the shell 18 is removed from the mold. A particular feature of the arrangement is the fact that the open side of channel 24 is sealed by the internal surface of the cavity 10 which closely fits the exterior of the eye unit. Accordingly, water from tube 36 can move down channel 24 and issue through bore 27 to issue through clearance space 30. The restricted passageways thus afforded by the arrangement, gives excellent control of water flow and results in discreet tears coming out from beneath the shell and onto the eyeball 33.

The short duct 25 may be of any suitable diameter to afford a predetermined ingress of flow from the tube 36. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the channel 24 is larger in width than the diameter of bore 25, but it will be understood that this is for illustrative purposes only, and either or both of these'openings can be varied for flow control, as can also the egress bore 27.

Another form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 which differs from the previously described embodiment in that the channel 48 in the shell 52 extends to or almost to the edge of the front shell 53 and terminates thereat in a notch 56 which will be seen to be directly over the visible top front of the eyeball surface so that water can drop thereonto in the form of tears, or form at the notch 56 as droplets which fall onto the eyeball. In this form of the invention, the egress notch 56 is molded along with the slot 48 and, accordingly, there is no need for any additional manufacturing step such as the drilling of a bore, as the bore 27 in FIG. 1. It will be understood that in this instance also, the channel 48 is sealed by the eye cavity wall as in the case of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the same construction is shown as in FIG. 3 wherein however, the inner wall of the eye cavity 60 will be seen to be spaced from the channel 48. In such case, it would be possible for too much water to flow due to such spacing. In order to eliminate excessive flow, the entire channel may be sealed by a strip of suitable waterproof tape 63 applied to the groove margins on the shell surface, as shown. Accordingly, the invention may be used in connection with dolls having eye cavities not specifically molded for any particular front shell, nor is it necessary to mold the shape of any particular front shell of a doll eye for a sealing fit for any particular eye cavity. This is believed to be a highly practical feature, in order to adapt a standardized doll eye made [in accordance with the invention, to a variety of doll heads as made by a large number of manufacturers. The form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is substantially the same as shown in FIG. 3, with the exception that the duct on the channel formation is in a raised mold ed rib 70 of the shell 78, instead of being formed directly in the upper surface of the material of the shell. In some applications, the raising of the groove 48 may bring it into sealing engagement with the inner surface of the eye cavity where a clearance would otherwise exist causing excessive fiow. In such instances, where contiguity will effect sealing in this manner, the tape 63 of FIG. may be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and accordingly, I do not Wish to be limited to the precise illustration, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tearing doll eye comprising a doll eye unit having an eyeball and having a front shell around said eyeball at the front thereof and having an aperture through which said eyeball is exposed, an open groove in the material on the exterior surface of said shell and extending substantially toward the front margin of said shell, and passage means for ingress of Water to the rearward end of said groove and for egress from the forward end of said groove in proximity with said eyeball.

2. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, including a flexible doll head having a cavity in which said eye unit is carried, and means for covering said groove when inserted in said cavity.

3. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, said passage means for effecting ingress of Water to said groove comprising a restricted bore for predetermined water flow.

4. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, said passage means for providing egress of water from said groove comprising a bore through the material of said shell and having a terminus above said eyeball.

5. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, said egress passage means comprising a notch at the outer end of said groove and disposed above said eyeball.

6. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, including a raised rib formation on said shell, said groove being formed in the surface of said raised rib.

7. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, said groove being of sufiiciently narrow Width to provide predetermined restriction of water flow therethrough.

8. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 1, said shell being formed with a duct means for connection with a tube to conduct water therethrough, said duct means being connected for water passage to said groove.

9. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 2, said lastmentioned means comprising a Wall of said cavity closely fitting over said groove.

10. In a tearing eye as set forth in claim 9, said last-mentioned means comprising a strip of sealing tape over said groove and adhering to the outer surface of said shell.

11. In a tearing doll eye comprising a doll eye unit having an eyeball and having a front shell around said eyeball at the front thereof and having an aperture through which said eyeball is exposed, an open groove in the material on the exterior surface of said shell at the top thereof and extending substantially toward the front margin of said shell, and passage means for ingress of water to the rearward end of said groove and for egress from the forward end of said groove in proximity with said eyeball.

12. In a tearing doll eye comprising a doll eye unit having an eyeball and having a front shell around said eyeball at the front thereof and having an aperture through which said eyeball is exposed, a groove in the material of the exterior surface of said shell and extending from rear to front portions thereof for conducting water thereon, and passage means for ingress of water to said groove at said rear portion of said shell, said groove having a forward end disposed to discharge water therefrom adjacent said forward portion of said shell.

13. In a tearing doll eye as set forth in claim 12, said groove being disposed at the top of said shell.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,819,560 1/58 Cohn 46-135 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TEARING DOLL EYE COMPRISING A DOLL EYE UNIT HAVING AN EYEBALL AND HAVING A FRONT SHELL AROUND SAID EYEBALL AT THE FRONT THEREOF AND HAVING AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH SAID EYEBALL IS EXPOSED, AN OPEN GROOVE IN THE MATERIAL ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SHELL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TOWARD THE FRONT MARGIN OF SAID SHELL, AND PASSAGE MANS FOR INGRESS OF WATER TO THE REARWARD END OF SAID GROOVE AND FOR EGRESS FROM THE FORWARD END OF SAID GROOVE IN PROXIMITY WITH SAID EYEBALL. 